Ageing drivers need not make Swiss roads less safe, SRF reports

Switzerland’s growing number of older drivers does not automatically mean more road accidents, experts say. Individual driving ability and health are key to safety, while better assessments and technology could help manage the risks.

The issue drew attention after a car driven by a 91-year-old woman crashed into an outdoor restaurant in Einsiedeln in early October. She is suspected of confusing the accelerator and brake pedals. Four people were taken to hospital.

In 2024, 517,754 drivers aged 75 and older were registered in Switzerland, according to figures cited from the Federal Office of Transport. The number of people over 65 with a driving licence is continuing to rise, particularly among women.

Drivers aged 25 to 64 cause more injury accidents in absolute numbers, but they also drive many more kilometres. Per kilometre driven, drivers over 80 have the highest accident rates, the figures show.

Sarina Keusch of the Federal Roads Office said the growing number of older people could not by itself be taken to mean accidents would rise at the same rate. “For road safety, age alone is not decisive; individual driving ability and health are particularly important,” she said.

About 260,000 people currently undergo routine, mandatory assessments of their fitness to drive each year. Professor Isabel Margot-Cattin, a co-author of a study on monitoring driving competence in Switzerland by HETSL and ZHAW, estimates the number could reach 350,000 by 2030 as the population ages. The cantons are responsible for the assessments, and Margot-Cattin said the expected increase would put the system under strain. She called for a national strategy and harmonised assessment procedures.

Margot-Cattin said many older people were willing to accept additional checks to keep their driving licences, which can be closely tied to their freedom, autonomy and ability to reach places important to them.

Driver-assistance systems and automated driving could also improve road safety, Keusch said. Fully automated technologies could offer significant benefits to people who can no longer drive themselves, Margot-Cattin said. Other tools could help people with cognitive impairments drive safely for longer, but only if users understand and trust the systems and know how to use them.

Switzerland’s population is ageing rapidly. Under the Federal Statistical Office’s reference scenario, the number of people aged 65 and over is projected to rise from 1.7 million in 2023 to 2.7 million in 2055, increasing their share of the population from 19.3 per cent to 25.5 per cent.